Eurorack is too small

I don't have any eurorack modules, but right now I am making a few modules for a friend of mine who has a bunch. Eurorack is so small and fiddly! I have no problems with how Eurorack looks and I like 1/8th of inch (3.5mm) jacks and plugs. My complaint is that the panel size is just too small. It's really hard cramming front panel components in there.


Here is a picture. See how those pots and connectors are jammed in there? In my own modular format, there is always at least 40mm spacing between potentiometer centers. Easier to solder, easier to twiddle on the front when its done.

 

  It's a combination VCO and transistor mixer. The transistor mixer distorts in a special transistor way when the inputs are set to a certain gain. Also, I am building him a transistor filter and a dual slope generator, but I haven't told him about those yet. I want to see if I can finish this one first, before my trip to where he lives in Virginia.

I forgot I had a blog and I built a minimoog filter clone

this one on stripboard
http://www.yusynth.net/Modular/EN/MOOGVCF/index.html

I didn't want to believe all the words people describe that filter as, because it usually is nonsense I thought. warm and fat and whatever. But actually, it really is great. I have a new favorite. It clips when the input signal is too loud, and that makes an interesting sound. Something about when the resonance is approaching self-oscillation but not quite, it warbles just a little.

I even built it with vintage transistors, instead of the recommended bc557/547 because I happened to have some from a couple years ago when I bought a box of random components.

Anyway, its not going to help me make better music, but it sure is a fun toy


here it is but it doesn't have labels or knobs yet.